Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-04-20
LEGISLATIVE SKETCHES.

Hon. E. d. Coe, OF The Whitewater Re
gisier, writing from Madison to his paper
pens the following sketche of two young
members Of the assembly, whose move
ments in the legislature the past winter
have been watched with more than or
binary interest:
Mr.. Grimm's new tramp law came up
one dav last week and after a hot fight
was ordered to third reading. It seeks
to cure some of the evils of the present
tramp law and makes the punishment for
petty larceny by a tramp SO severe, th at
the old trick of stealing some article from
a store front in order to get arrested and
boarded, few days will lose its popular
ity; if the bill goes through, as it prob
ably will, solitary confinement, breael
and water, hard labor, and no tobacco,
liquor, newspapers, cards or other games
what an unpleasant classlfcation-are
allowed for the ira mps solace. This sys-
tenn has been tried in Jefferson county
and works so we'll that it is commended
as worthy of state adoption. Mr.. Grimm
had hard fight to save the bill and his
triumph was one of the notable ones Of
the session As he Is near neighbor Of
The Registers parishicners [ take plea
sure in saying that be has we'll fulfilled
the high promises that were made for him
He is not yet thirty years of age, is a fiji
ent, forcible and interesting speaker, and
usually shows the result of hard study
and thought in what he says. In man
ners he is cordial and off-hanGeG, easy 70
make acquaiDtances and not at all trou-
bledfwith embarrassment in any presence
or Gu any occasion. Some correspondent
wrote letter to the Inter Ocean a few
weeks since speaking of him in terms of
unjust disparagement. The fact is Mir.
Grimm has added to his friends and in
fdence steadily since the session began.
Another young man of great promise
is John A Murphy, of Pierce county.
He is the youngest member of the house,
having finished his twenty-fourth year
being six feet FIVE inches in height, and
is scarcely second to any in influence
when he exerts himself for or against any
measure. He has the good sense 10 talk
only on questions as to which be is well
informed or has a deep interest, and
either he talks SO we'll or selects his sub
iect so we'll that he has been on the los
ing side but once this winter; and to-day
almost every one feels that the losing side
that time was the right side and there
fore by large majority the true winning
side. / often think that Mr.. Murphy
with good reason reminds one of Lincoln.
His long lean form, his plain bat sincere
face, his earnestness, and his rugged elo-
quence, which has a vein Of warmth and
feeling in it far surprising that Of any
other of our assembly speakers, all were
characteristic of the greatest of Ameri-
cans. From the humble home of an
Irish-b born farmer, in the backwoods of
Pierce county, be came to the notice of
our present superintendent of schools, J..
B. Thayer, at a county institute almost
five years since. He recognized the
worth and promise of the boy and en-
couraged him to make the best of his OPP
portunities. The good advice was acted
upon, and Mr. Murphy is now a men,
Der of the University law school, an
honored representative of the state legis-
lature and with every thing of character,
ability and opportunity seemingly in his
favor l know of no young man whose
future promises more brightly.